Columbia silkmoth
Hyalophora columbia (S.I. Smith, 1865)
Family: Saturniidae
Subfamily: Saturniinae
Identification: Wings are dark brown to red-brown. The gray area outside the white postmedian band does not contain any red. Crescent spots on the forewings and hindwings are white, although occasionally the spots on the forewing may be reduced or absent.
Wing Span: 3 1/8 - 3 15/16 inches (8 - 10 cm).
Life History: Females lay one or two eggs at the base of larch needles, or on leaves and twigs of other host plants. Caterpillars hatch in less than two weeks and are solitary feeders. The cocoon is compact and spun close to the ground on the trunk or stem of the host plant or on nearby thick undergrowth.
Flight: One brood from May-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: In the east laricina); in addition, caterpillars in western Ontario eat pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica), speckled alder (Alnus rugosa), and white birch (Betula papyrifera). In the west: western choke cherry (Prunus demissa), bitter cherry (P. emarginata), bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), wild roses (Rosa), willows (Salix), buffalo berry (Shepherdia argentea), Russian olive (Eleagnus angustifolius), and buckbrush (Ceanothus).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed.
Habitat: Woodland with poorly drained, boggy, acid soil; suburban gardens; and a wide variety of wooded habitats.
Range: In the east Quebec and Ontario to Michigan, northern Wisconsin, and southeastern Manitoba. In the west: Alberta and Montana south through the Rocky Mountain region to southwest Texas and into central Mexico. Comments: Glover's silkmoth, H. c. gloveri, once considered a separate species, is now treated as a subspecies of the Columbia silkmoth.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 145 - 168 of 337 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 05, 2012
Submitted by: 311texan33
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: charleseharp
Verified date: Sep 07, 2012
Observation date: Apr 23, 2012
Submitted by: deadframer
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Aug 30, 2012
Observation date: Apr 28, 2012
Submitted by: LesSchaub
Region: Garfield County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Aug 30, 2012
Observation date: Jul 24, 2012
Submitted by: alvarez2799
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: kmortensen
Verified date: Jul 26, 2012
Observation date: May 31, 2012
Submitted by: niksclements
Region: Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 07, 2012
Observation date: Jul 03, 2012
Submitted by: Andrew Lawson
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 03, 2012
Observation date: Jun 16, 2007
Submitted by: jmstooley
Region: Yellowstone County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 03, 2012
Observation date: Jun 20, 2012
Submitted by: Philip Hough
Region: Bonner County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Jun 21, 2012
Observation date: May 02, 2012
Submitted by: lopezk
Region: Elko County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: kellyrichers
Verified date: Jun 21, 2012
Observation date: Jun 16, 2012
Submitted by: plourdet
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 19, 2012
Observation date: Jun 09, 2012
Submitted by: greslm
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 19, 2012
Observation date: Jun 04, 2004
Submitted by: jmihuc
Region: Clinton County, New York, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 18, 2012
Observation date: Jun 17, 2012
Submitted by: linda L
Region: Lewis And Clark County, Montana, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 17, 2012
Observation date: May 17, 2012
Submitted by: motorad666
Region: Summit County, Utah, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 15, 2012
Observation date: May 13, 2012
Submitted by: sharynmac
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 15, 2012
Observation date: May 22, 2012
Submitted by: Jim Whitney
Region: Summit County, Utah, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 13, 2012
Observation date: May 31, 2012
Submitted by: wysosa
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 12, 2012
Observation date: Jun 11, 2012
Submitted by: as90
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 12, 2012
Observation date: Apr 25, 2012
Submitted by: grape imaging
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 12, 2012
Observation date: May 27, 2012
Submitted by: DanBabb
Region: Douglas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 12, 2012
Observation date: Jun 09, 2012
Submitted by: Gayle Leslie
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 12, 2012
Observation date: Nov 12, 2011
Submitted by: Elmer Mudguaard
Region: Caledonia County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 12, 2012
Observation date: May 20, 2012
Submitted by: carlrat
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Jun 12, 2012
Observation date: Jun 07, 2012
Submitted by: bugmanpwhite
Region: Madison County, Montana, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Jun 10, 2012
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